What is Pulsar: Definition and 62 Discussions

A pulsar (from Pulsating Radio Sources) is a highly magnetized rotating compact star (usually neutron stars but also white dwarfs) that emits beams of electromagnetic radiation out of its magnetic poles. This radiation can be observed only when a beam of emission is pointing toward Earth (similar to the way a lighthouse can be seen only when the light is pointed in the direction of an observer), and is responsible for the pulsed appearance of emission. Neutron stars are very dense and have short, regular rotational periods. This produces a very precise interval between pulses that ranges from milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar. Pulsars are one of the candidates for the source of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. (See also centrifugal mechanism of acceleration.)
The periods of pulsars make them very useful tools for astronomers. Observations of a pulsar in a binary neutron star system were used to indirectly confirm the existence of gravitational radiation. The first extrasolar planets were discovered around a pulsar, PSR B1257+12. In 1983, certain types of pulsars were detected that at that time exceeded the accuracy of atomic clocks in keeping time.

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  1. T

    Pulsar Radius from its rotational period

    Homework Statement A pulsar emits bursts of radio waves with a period of 10 ms. Find an upper limit to the radius of the pulsar. Homework Equations Not Sure The Attempt at a Solution Can anyone help with this, I cannot see how the period will help tell you the upper limit to the...
  2. nicksauce

    What Is an Unambiguous Standard for Pulsar Periods?

    Often I will hear quoted such and such Pulsar has a period of X and a Pdot of Y. However this is somewhat ambiguous to me. If the period is changing, then how does one quote its period? Obviously, by using some unambiguous standard that I am unsure of. Is the reported period (in a paper...
  3. T

    Uncertainty Pulsar PSR 1937+21

    I feel stupid for asking this, but the book I'm working through doesn't explain it at all, and I want to make sure I am correct. The book is Fundamentals of Physics, by Halliday. This is problem #16 after the first chapter. My solutions for A and B (please forgive me if my tex isn't very...
  4. wolram

    Uncovering the Mystery of Millisecond Pulsars: Surviving Against All Odds

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millisecond_pulsar How do these pulsars remain intact?
  5. V

    Angular acceleration of a pulsar

    A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits radio pulses with precise synchronization, there being one such pulse for each rotation of the star. The period T of rotation is found by measuring the time between pulses. At present, the pulsar in the central region of the Crab nebula has...
  6. L

    Exploring Binary Pulsar Mechanics: Lagrangian Formulations

    Anyone got an idea of where I can get some information on the mechanics of binary pulsars? Especially the Lagrangian formulations are of interest.
  7. D

    Syncing something with a pulsar

    Soo... I'm trying to "sync" something up with PSR B1919+21. (so in essence I'm just looking to have an indication (preferably audio) of its cycle/period in real time. (PSR B1919+21 has a period of 1.337 seconds and a pulse width of 0.04 second.) I'm wondering if there any online streams of...
  8. marcus

    New double pulsar testbed for GR and alts.

    http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0609417 Tests of general relativity from timing the double pulsar M. Kramer, I.H. Stairs, R.N. Manchester, M.A. McLaughlin, A.G. Lyne, R.D. Ferdman, M. Burgay, D.R. Lorimer, A. Possenti, N. D'Amico, J.M. Sarkissian, G.B. Hobbs, J.E. Reynolds, P.C.C. Freire, F...
  9. S

    Crab Nebula Pulsar: Angular Acceleration Explained

    A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star that emits a radio beam the way a lighthouse emits a light beam. We receive a radio pulse for each rotation of the star. The period T of rotation is found by measuring the time between pulses. The pulsar in the Crab nebula has a period of rotation of...
  10. E

    How Fast Does a Pulsar Spin?

    A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star that continuously emits a beam of radio waves in a searchlight manner. Each time the pulsar makes one revolution, the rotating beam sweeps across the earth, and the Earth receives a pulse of radio waves. For one particular pulsar, the time between two...
  11. V

    Pulsar Death: What Happens When a Pulsar Dies

    Hello! I just want to know how does a pulsar die, if it dies someday...? :bugeye:
  12. C

    Need help locating pulsar CP1133

    I'm still trying to locate a particular pulsar which had (in 1972) the original designation CP1133. :confused: Does anyone here happen to have a catalog or reference which will allow me to find which pulsar (or the current designation & info on such pulsar) that had an original (early...
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